GROWING A MOVEMENT FAITHFUL

2020 Annual Report

of the

Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake (IPC) is building a movement of faith communities throughout the Chesapeake who are answering the call to honor, protect, and restore the sacred blessings of creation and our shared waterways that sustain and nurture us. We’re inviting congregations to demonstrate their commitment to our shared goals by signing our Partner Congregation Pledge.

Partner Congregations are Joining the Movement

To ignite the power of faith communities in the Chesapeake region to honor all of Creation by working together to protect and restore our shared watershed.

MISSION

“You shall be called the healer of the breach, the restorer of the streets to live in.” — Isaiah 58:12b

Learn more about the pledge or sign it online at InterfaithChesapeake.org/Congregations

The pledge helps build our movement and shines a light on the power of faith communities to preserve our future. Our goal is for 150 congregations to sign the pledge by the end of 2021.

Join the movement by signing the pledge!

HIGHLIGHT ON PARTNER CONGREGATIONS

Community Mennonite Church of Lancaster: Lancaster, PennsylvaniaWe connected with volunteers at this church as we co-organized a walking tour in Lancaster. Nearly 120 people participated in the tour and learned about their amazing stormwater management project, which reduced their pollution by 88%. They were one of the first congregations in Lancaster to sign the pledge and we continue to work with volunteers from Lancaster to offer more educational programs for faithful stewards.

Stillmeadow Community Fellowship: Baltimore, Maryland

IPC was first introduced to Pastor Michael Martin in May of 2019 after his Southwest Baltimore community was ravaged by two flooding catastrophes. Pastor Michael has a vision for a “Peace Park,” turning the 10-acre forest situated on church grounds into a place of healing, learning, and spiritual renewal. The church has cleared walking paths, held outdoor nature camps, and is working with the U.S. Forest Service to revitalize the forest by removing invasive species and planting 2,000 saplings. A cistern system was installed to support the sapling nursery as well as a pollinator garden.

A movement is building in Lancaster!

Before After

A movement is building in West Baltimore!

GREEN TEAMS: A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

Despite dealing with a global pandemic and heightened awareness of long-standing racial tensions, congregations were steadfast in their commitment to being good stewards of God’s Creation. Our first in-person training in February was an inspiring show of excitement with 81

people attending, representing 23 congregations. Then, Covid-19 hit, and our next four in-person trainings had to be cancelled.

IPC staff quickly retooled to offer the training online, and attracted some big-name keynote speakers to energize the green teams: Bill McKibben (350.org), Eboo Patel (Interfaith Youth Core), and Rev. Fletcher Harper (GreenFaith). Since the program’s inception, 250 people have attended the trainings, representing 82 congregations. We’ve also offered monthly Learning Labs, in which 254 people have participated.

After

Learning how to do one-on-one meetings and taking the time to do

them is totally worth it. [We] found out that three of our green team

members grew up on farms. Sometimes you have to slow down to

move ahead faster.”

— Cynthia Taylor, Mount Olive United Methodist Church

Green Teams are joining the movement!

“

St. Thomas Episcopal church owns a large property in the upper reaches of the Gwynn Falls watershed. When IPC began promoting our Faithful Green Leaders Training program they quickly recruited 12 people to join their team. Despite Covid-19, they worked together to install a pollinator garden while socially distanced.

Spotlight

ONE WATER PARTNERSHIP: CLEAN WATER, ONE COMMUNITY AT A TIME

The One Water Partnership is a growing network of faith communities in the Chesapeake Bay watershed coming together to care for local waterways in their own communities. From Salisbury to Baltimore, and Annapolis to Lancaster, PA, nearly 200 congregations are working together to restore clean water. Some are planting trees, others are replacing paved surfaces with pollinator gardens, and others are hosting movie nights or special sermons to raise awareness. Together their actions tremendously benefit the shared waters of their communities.

191 8,049 51 34.73

39 2,904 16 4.3

24 ** 2 3.8

2020

2018

2016

CONGREGATIONS ENGAGED

PEOPLE REACHED

PROJECTS INSTALLED

ACRES TREATED*

* Includes projects in design and in progress ** Not tracked at that time

2020 FINANCESAs of September 30, 2020

TOTAL INCOME

$390,980

Government Grants

Non-Government Grants

Gifts Earned Income

$409,413

Programming

Administrative & Development Fundraising

48%

7%

43%

3%

22%

78%

1%

You can help strengthen our work, reach more congregations, train more green leaders, and advocate for a restored Creation. Consider becoming a monthly supporter. www.InterfaithChesapeake.org/Donate

TOTAL EXPENSES

Magnify the Movement — Give a Gift!

Current Board Members Laura Cattell NollPhillip ChalkerBill HalpernRaymond HeilDr. Mckay JenkinsJeanne McCannAyana MirandaLaurie-Anne SaylesDr. Tonya SandersAlbert Todd Individuals

Anonymous DonorsAmbrose Paul AbutoCarol Appleby-VankoAnna AwimboDebbie BadawiCharlie BaileyPat and Mary BallJohn BarnesTony and Maria BaroneMary Ann BarryPaul BearesDavid BennettAnn BettenWilliam BlairJames BrassardBill BreakeyMarney BruceJohn BurkMark CameronNina CardinJim CaseyCheryl ChurchSteve CleghornKim CobleDan CohenCharlie ConklinKathleen (Kacy) ConleyPeter ConradDon and Caroline CookseyWilson CoudonLinda CoylePat Cuff

Rosamond DanielsRenee DeKonaDoug DemeoMary Beth DentWilliam DingesBernie DormerPhil DowneyCraig DuerlingHarriet DwinellNaomi EdelsonStuart ElsbergSteve and Michelle FantauzzoNancy FayerLiz FeighnerMichael FinchamGeorge FisherFran FlaniganRosemary FlickingerMichele FromeCarl GallegosMary GautGary GillespieJason GiovannettoneChristopher GordonChristiane GrahamMonica GreenePeter GreggCarol GriffithPatricia GrimesBetsy HallWilliam HalpernLinda Hanifin BonnerSean and Leslie HanrahanColleen HartEd HatcherCarel HedlundGuy HollydayRobert HoodElizabeth IronsCarol JanusMary KambicGeorge KaplanMarion KeenanJerry KickensonAdrienne KnightMike KoobDorothea Lankford

Susan LarsonRichard LeslieSteve LinhardMichael LollMarci LuPatricia LutzFrieda MalcolmLisa MartinIra MayKathleen McGourtyDoug McKeownJim and Evelyn McKeownMary McKielJohn McKusickGayl MeierSuzanne MerrymanSteve MetalitzMarcia MetzlerPeggy MeyerRoderick MillerJohn MitsakEvelyn MogrenVivian MooreAllison MooreSandra Moore-StanleyJim MoseleySyed MurtuzaDede NewportJoelle NoveyJoAnn OrlinskyThomas A. PakurarMark PalmerVivian ParkLaurel PeltierDavid PettitKevin PhilpyDede PotticaryAndrea ProctorGary RhinesmithPatrice RohdeJodi RoseJohn RosenbergRebecca RugglesLarry and Debra RyanAmy SaltzmanJohn SchmidtSharon SchroerRay Schulte

Cynthia SerjakSalman SheikhDavid ShneyerMarti SimpsonBetsy SingerWayne SmithCheryl SnydermanBonnie SorakBill SpareStuart StainmanDawn StoltzfusAllan StraughanFrances TeplitzBonnie ThomsonMark and Vera TorrenceAshley TrautMarge TrenkleMary TriandafilouThelma TricheLouise WagnerTom WaldronDick WilliamsJim WolfordSue WoodmanMark WrightDottie YungerChris and Chrissy ZakerEd Zipeto Congregations

Catonsville Presbyterian Church (Envision Fund)Christ Episcopal Church of RockvilleDelaware-Maryland Synod of the ELCAFrederick Friends MeetingHomewood Friends Meeting, BaltimoreSaint Margaret’s Episcopal Church, AnnapolisSeeker’s ChurchTransfiguration Episcopal Church, Silver Spring

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS!

Help us strengthen the faith community’s impact by supporting Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake today. You can donate:

• Online at www.InterfaithChesapeake.org/donate.

• By check made out to “Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake” and mailed to the address at the bottom of this page.

• Donations of stock are gratefully accepted. Please contact jodi@InterfaithChesapeake.org.

Thank you for your support!

Protecting the Chesapeake Together

Cover Photo Credit: Chesapeake Bay Program

410-609-6852 • InterfaithChesapeake.org P.O. Box 6791, Annapolis, MD 21401

IPC is registered as a charitable organization in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. MD Inquiries: A copy of our current financial statement is available upon request by calling us at 410-609-6852. Documents are available from the office of the Secretary of State, State House, Annapolis, MD 21401, for the cost of copying and postage. PA Inquiries: Registration and financial information may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. VAInquiries: Registration and financial information can be obtained from the State Office of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, P.O. Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23218.